There were no major shakeups in the power rankings this week, especially at the top, unless you consider the Titans slipping out of the top spot to #2 to be a major shakeup that is. With each passing week we seem to gain a little more clarity into the likely playoff picture, and possible seeding scenarios.

There’s still a lot of football left to be played, and certainly a surprise or two still around the corner in the season’s closing weeks, but by now I think we have a pretty good idea of which teams are contenders and which ones are pretenders. What’s still very much up for grabs though, is which of those contenders will position themselves to walk away with the hardware at the end. After all, there’s no trophy for being the best team after 11 games, or even 16 for that matter. It’s all about the playoffs, but until they begin, here’s how I see things so far.

1. New York Giants (2) – 10-1 – Most, myself included, probably felt that they were deserving of the top spot a few weeks ago, but the Titans simply kept rolling along. At this point, I think the consensus is that the Giants are probably the team to beat. We’ll see how they are able to maintain their focus and health down the stretch. Next Week: @ WAS

2. Tennessee Titans (1) – 10-1 – The Titans have struggled to run the ball in recent weeks, and this time it came back to bite them. Expect Jeff Fischer to use this as an opportunity to rally his troops. Having something left to work on at this point in the season isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Next Week: @ DET (Thanksgiving)

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (5) – 8-3 – The Steelers have quietly been doing what we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from them. A strong effective defense, complimented by a conservative yet efficient offense has been the formula that’s kept the Steelers rolling along, and mostly staying under the radar while doing it. Next Week: @ NE

4. New York Jets (6) – 8-3 – Although the AFC East is still very much up for grabs, the Jets have gone a long way to cementing their position in control of the race. It appears that Brett Favre was right when he said that he thought he might have a little more football left in him. It looks like the Jets do too. Next Week: vs. DEN

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8) – 8-3 – It seems that Jon Gruden has taken his once complex offense and made it plug and play. Despite the rash of injuries to skill position players, the Bucs keep getting it done with a revolving cast of characters on offense, and the defense that the Bucs have been known for. Next Week: vs. NO

6. Arizona Cardinals (4) – 7-4 – They held their own with the mighty Giants for just over a half, but clearly still have work to do if they hope to contend with the NFC’s elite. Perhaps the Cards were a bit hasty in phasing Edgerin James out of their game plan altogether. Next Week: @ PHI (Thanksgiving)

7. Carolina Panthers (3) – 8-3 – Maybe they were simply due for a letdown. Or maybe, like a lot of us they underestimated the upstart Atlanta Falcons. Whatever the reason for Sunday’s debacle, the NFC South doesn’t allow much margin for error. Even if they can’t get past Tampa though, the Panthers still find themselves in the best position of all of the potential wild cards. Next Week: @ GB

8. Indianapolis Colts (9) – 7-4 – Reports of the Colts’ demise appear to have been greatly exaggerated. The Colts are still very much in the thick of the hunt in the AFC, if not the AFC South, and may be proving that they’re even more dangerous with their backs to the wall. Next Week: @ CLE

9. Baltimore Ravens (10) – 7-4 – After a few early season stumbles late in games, the Ravens now appear to have the endgame mastered. Keeping teams from getting wide open early may be the key to the Ravens being able to string together a run that leads them to an improbable playoff berth. The Ravens are playing a cold weather style, we’ll see if it plays to their favor now that the weather’s turning. Next Week: @ CIN

10. Atlanta Falcons (18) – 7-4 – Consider me sold; these Falcons are for real. They still have their work cut out for them though sitting at 3rd in their division will certainly make the road to a potential playoff berth a bumpy one. Next Week: @ SD

11. Denver Broncos (7) – 6-5 – Nothing should surprise you when it comes to this team. Nothing that is, except for the few moments when they actually look like a playoff caliber team. Maybe the Broncos are having trouble focusing because no one in the division looks capable of keeping them from the playoffs anyway. If they limp into the postseason like they’ve played lately though, they could be in for another unforgettable postseason embarrassment. Next Week: @ NYJ

12. Washington Redskins (12) – 6-5 – They got a win on Sunday, but I don’t think they did much to dispel concerns surrounding the offense in recent weeks. Wild card spots in the NFC look like they could be awfully tough to come by, and the Giants appear unlikely to let anyone back into the NFC East race. We’ll see if Washington is able to turn up the sense of urgency in the next few weeks. Next Week: vs. NYG

13. Chicago Bears (13) – 6-5 – The Bears got back on track last week after back to back losses, and still find themselves in the driver’s seat for the NFC North. If they intend to get into the playoffs and beyond however, they’ll have to find a way to take some of the load off of rookie Matt Forte. Next Week: @ MIN

14. New England Patriots (15) – 7-4 – The Patriots look to have found a rhythm, and Matt Cassel has grown from high school quarterback to competent NFL starter in just a few weeks time. Something tells me that the rest of the AFC may be sorry that they didn’t put these Pats away when they had the chance. Next Week: vs. PIT

15. Dallas Cowboys (16) – 7-4 – Tony Romo has returned to form, and brought TO back with him to boot. For now it seems that all is well in Cowboy land. We’ll see if they can keep it going now that they all seem to be on the same page once again. Next Week: vs. SEA (Thanksgiving)

16. Minnesota Vikings (17) – 6-5 – The Vikings may be hitting their stride, and just in the nick of time. Luckily for them, the rest of the division may have waited for them to get ready to make themselves a factor in this race. The Vikes could be a tough draw in the playoffs, even on the road, with their strong run defense and ridiculous two-headed backfield. Next Week: vs. CHI

17. Miami Dolphins (14) – 6-5 – Fool Bellichick once, as the Dolphins did with the advent of the wildcat offense, and credit is due. Try it a second time, and shame on you. Tony Sparano and his Dolphins will have to figure out how to compliment their trickery by simply imposing their will on teams occasionally too. They have the weapons in their arsenal, now they just have to put them to the right use. Next Week: @ ST.L

18. Buffalo Bills (25) – 6-5 – Trent Edwards and the Bills certainly made a statement in KC on Sunday. In doing so they have also declared themselves back in the race for the AFC East. We’ll have to wait and see if it’s more than a one-week explosion. Next Week: vs. SF

19. San Diego Chargers (19) – 4-7 – I can’t help but feel like these Chargers still have some semblance of a run left in the tank, but with each passing week, it appears less and less likely. As long as the Broncos continue to stumble though, a playoff run will still remain a possibility for this team. Next Week: vs. ATL

20. New Orleans Saints (21) – 6-5 – Despite the rash of offensive injuries, this team has still been a major disappointment this season. Especially since, at times, they have played at an elite level. Still inconsistency and the success of the rest of this division will probably be too much for the Saints to overcome this season. Next Week: @ TB

21. Green Bay Packers (11) – 5-6 – Forget about the fact that Brett Favre is lighting it up for the Jets in the AFC, the Packers had to see what they had in Aaron Rodgers in this, his 4th season. With that said, they way that Rodgers and these Packers have played at times is the reason why Ted Thompson knew that having Favre around on the bench was not an option. Next Week: vs. CAR

22. Philadelphia Eagles (20) – 5-5-1 – The Eagles and Andy Reid appear to be their own worst enemy at this point. With a banged up Brian Westbrook and Correll Buckhalter injured early in the game on Sunday, it’s feasible that Reid benched Donavan McNabb to simply keep him from being killed in the second half against the Ravens. Next Week: vs. AZ (Thanksgiving)

23. Houston Texans (24) – 4-7 – They’re clearly playing for the future at this point, but offensively at least, that future looks like it could be pretty bright. If they could put together a consistent defense, they might hope to contend in the talent laden AFC South. Next Week: vs. JAX

24. Jacksonville Jaguars (23) – 4-7 – The Jags are easily the most talented team in the bottom third of the rankings, on both sides of the ball it would seem. Something however keeps this team from being able to believe in themselves enough to play a game from start to finish. I suspect there will be big changes in Jacksonville this off-season. Next Week: @ HOU

25. Oakland Raiders (31) – 3-8 – The Raiders and Tom Cable are doing the best that they can with what they’ve got, and are scaring some teams in the process. In the big picture, they’re probably overmatched talent wise in most weeks, but they do have a few exciting young players to build around. Next Week: vs. KC

26. Cleveland Browns (22) – 4-7 – New quarterback, same old problems. Now they’re back to the old quarterback it seems, but the Browns need a lot more than a new QB to ignite this offense. They might need a defibrillator to get their collective heart going again. Next Week: vs. IND

27. San Francisco 49ers (26) – 3-8 – They’ve shuffled coaches, coordinators, quarterbacks and systems, but the Niners still appear no closer to getting to the playoffs any time soon. In fact they may be headed in the opposite direction altogether. Next Week: @ BUF

28. Seattle Seahawks (27) – 2-9 – They’ve put up much more of a fight it would seem in recent weeks, but still the Seahawks are nowhere close to where they expected to be at this point in the season. It looks like it’s safe to say that 2008 in Seattle may be the worst sports season any city has ever seen. Next Week: @ DAL (Thanksgiving)

29. Cincinnati Bengals (28) – 1-9-1 – It’d be nice to say that the Bengals have played better than their 1-9-1 record would indicate, but it’s probably not true. The Bengals still have enough firepower to be a handful for just about anyone, but a sustained period of success is highly unlikely. Next Week: vs. BAL

30. Kansas City Chiefs (28) – 1-10 – They seemed to have found an offensive rhythm of late, but simply can’t stop the run against anyone. The Cheifs should provide us with plenty of good highlights, both their own and their opponents, this season, but probably won’t be much of a factor in most games. Next Week: @ OAK

31. St. Louis Rams (30) – 2-9 – The Rams went from freefall, to seemingly righting their ship, and back to freefall in a few short weeks. The good news is that in the NFC West, they can still reasonably hope to come back next year with a chance to be competitive again. Next Week: vs. MIA

32. Detroit Lions (32) – 0-11 – Now that the Titans have gotten a blemish on their perfect record, I suppose the attention will shift to Detroit, and their record of perfect ineptitude so far. Some say it’s harder to go winless than undefeated in today’s NFL, for what it’s worth I never understood that logic, but the Lions are doing it and making it look easy too. Next Week: vs. TEN

Just for the sake of making everything easier, I’ve decided to post the week 12 Fantasy Start Rankings for all 6 positions in one place. It’s the same start rankings that you can find on the bottoms of each of the Positional Power Rankings for week 12. You can locate those power rankings by using the links at the bottom of this page too.

Listed below are the formulary start rankings for each of the 6 positions, with their formulary number listed in parentheses next to them. The formulary rankings are gotten using the “secret fantasy flavor formula”, it’s basically 2 parts player performance, 1 part defensive expectations against them this week, with a few variables thrown in for injuries and anomalies.

As news becomes available over the course of the weekend, I’ll make notes here too, so keep checking back. And at the end of the day, trust your gut, and have fun. That’s why we play the games after all anyway. And good luck to you this week as the playoffs approach.

QUARTERBACKS

1. Peyton Manning (15) @SD

2. Aaron Rodgers (21) @ NO

3. Jay Cutler (22) vs. OAK

4. Tony Romo (22) vs. SF

5. Kurt Warner (29) vs. NYG

6. Shaun Hill (31) @ DAL

7. Brady Quinn (31) vs. HOU

8. Drew Brees (35) vs. GB

9. Eli Manning (36) @ AZ

10. Phillip Rivers (40) vs. IND

11. Matt Cassel (40) @ MIA

12. Kyle Orton (42) @ ST.L

13. Tyler Thigpen (43) vs. BUF

14. Gus Frerotte (43) @ JAX

15. Jeff Garcia (44) @ DET

16. Donavan McNabb (45) @ BAL

17. Jason Campbell (48) @ SEA

18. David Garrard (52) vs. MIN

19. Brett Favre (53) @ TEN

20. Chad Pennington (57) vs. NE

21. Sage Rosenfels (61) @ CLE

22. Kerry Collins (61) vs. NYJ

23. Matt Ryan (62) vs. CAR

24. Joe Flacco (64) vs. PHI

25. Jake Delhomme (68) @ ATL

26. Ben Roethlisberger (69) vs. CIN

27. JaMarcus Russell (70) @ DEN*about the same if it’s Walter or Tuisasopo

Here are the last of the week 12 Positional Power Rankings, and all in time to get your Thursday lineups in. Once again the surprising Packers lead the way in the power rankings, and with 9 touchdowns between defense and special teams, the Packers’ defense has been in the end zone as much as the Raiders’ offense this season. There’s likely good value to be found on the waiver wire if you’re looking for some, and with the playoffs approaching rapidly, every little edge that you can get will help.

Keep in mind that the power rankings, listed here, are based on year to date performance and not a reflection of your best options for week 12. Just below the power rankings are match up previews advising who should be better or worse than usual this week, based on their opponents. At the bottom, are the week 12 start rankings; that’s where you should look for help with your week 12 lineup decisions.

And here are the week 12 Fantasy D/ST start rankings; it’s all 32 D/STs in the order that you should consider them this week. They were gotten using the Fantasy Flavor secret formula, and have their formulary numbers in parentheses, the lower the better.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7)

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (16)

3. Chicago Bears (21)

4. Green Bay Packers (27)

5. Philadelphia Eagles (27)

6. Tennessee Titans (30)

7. New York Jets (36)

8. New York Giants (37)

9. Baltimore Ravens (42)

10. Miami Dolphins (42)

11. Seattle Seahawks (42)

12. San Francisco 49ers (43)

13. Dallas Cowboys (43)

14. Jacksonville Jaguars (44)

15. Cleveland Browns (46)

16. Minnesota Vikings (48)

17. Oakland Raiders (49)

18. Atlanta Falcons (50)

19. Buffalo Bills (50)

20. Arizona Cardinals (51)

21. Carolina Panthers (52)

22. Washington Redskins (58)

23. Kansas City Chiefs (63)

24. New England Patriots (65)

25. Cincinnati Bengals (67)

26. Denver Broncos (67)

27. San Diego Chargers (68)

28. New Orleans Saints (72)

29. Indianapolis Colts (73)

30. Houston Texans (80)

31. St. Louis Rams (81)

32. Detroit Lions (87)

Use the links below to check out all of the other positional rankings, and I’ll try to consolidate all of this week’s start rankings into one blog, that I’ll update as injury information becomes available too. Remember to trust your gut and have fun, and as always, good luck this week.

The return of Lawrence Tynes to the Giants this week, forced John Carney from the #1 spot in the rankings to being all the way out of them. From here out, whoever is kicking for the Giants should be a good option, but indications from Tom Coughlin are that he may go back and fourth with them. Garrett Hartley, although not in the rankings, is a worthwhile pickup and should be productive throughout the remaining season. Here are this week’s power rankings and match up previews, along with weekly start rankings at the bottom of the page.

Keep in mind that the power rankings, listed here, are based on year to date performance and not a reflection of your best options for week 12. Just below the power rankings are match up previews advising who should be better or worse than usual this week, based on their opponents. At the bottom, are the week 12 start rankings; that’s where you should look for help with your week 12 lineup decisions.

And here are the week 12 Fantasy K start rankings; it’s all 32 starting Ks in the order that you should consider them this week. They were gotten using the Fantasy Flavor secret formula, and have their formulary numbers in parentheses, the lower the better. We’ll get all of the positional rankings out to you in time for the Thursday night game, so keep checking back for the rest.

1. Mason Crosby (16)

2. Garrett Hartley (16)

3. Stephen Gostkowski (24)

4. Matt Bryant (26)

5. Phil Dawson (29)

6. David Akers (30)

7. Lawrence Tynes (32) *no difference if it’s Carney

8. Rian Lindell (33)

9. Jason Elam (36)

10. Shaun Suisham (36)

11. Nate Kaeding (39)

12. Joe Nedney (41)

13. Matt Prater (44)

14. Jay Feeley (46)

15. Ryan Longwell (46)

16. Robbie Gould (46)

17. Rob Bironas (47)

18. Sebastian Janikowski (48)

19. Josh Brown (50)

20. Neil Rackers (54)

21. Josh Scobee (58)

22. John Kasay (61)

23. Jeff Reed (61)

24. Nick Folk (65)

25. Jason Hanson (69)

26. Connor Barth (69)

27. Matt Stover (71)

28. Olindo Mare (75)

29. Kris Brown (77)

30. Adam Vinatieri (77)

31. Shayne Graham (79)

32. Dan Carpenter (83)

Use the links below to check out all of the other positional rankings, and I’ll try to consolidate all of this week’s start rankings into one blog, that I’ll update as injury information becomes available too. Remember to trust your gut and have fun, and as always, good luck this week.

When it comes to shuffling your lineup from week to week, tight end performance might be the toughest to predict. Unless you have a tight end who functions as a staple of his passing game, like Gates, Gonzalez or Witten, it may be safer just to stick with one guy that you believe in week in and week out. Even at this late stage in the season, Gates has just 6 TD to lead all tight ends, and no tight ends are over 600 yards yet this season. Nonetheless, here are this week’s tight end rankings, and match up previews.

Keep in mind that the power rankings, listed here, are based on year to date performance and not a reflection of your best options for week 12. Just below the power rankings are match up previews advising who should be better or worse than usual this week, based on their opponents. At the bottom, are the week 12 start rankings; that’s where you should look for help with your week 12 lineup decisions.

And here are the week 12 Fantasy TE start rankings; it’s the projected top 35 TEs in the order that you should consider them this week. They were gotten using the Fantasy Flavor secret formula, and have their formulary numbers in parentheses, the lower the better. We’ll get all of the positional rankings out to you in time for the Thursday night game, so keep checking back for the rest.

1. Dallas Clark (13)

2. Kellen Winslow Jr. (15)

3. Tony Scheffler (20)

4. Bo Scaife (24)

5. Antonio Gates (28)

6. Owen Daniels (29)

7. Tony Gonzalez (33)

8. Kevin Boss (34)

9. Anthony Fasano (34)

10. Dustin Keller (34)

11. Zach Miller (34)

12. Billy Miller (38)

13. Jerramy Stevens (39)

14. Jason Witten (42)

15. Visanthe Schiancoe (43)

16. Chris Cooley (45)

17. Greg Olsen (53)

18. Alex Smith (53)

19. Mercedes Lewis (55)

20. Todd Heap (55)

21. Tom Santi (61)

22. John Carlson (63)

23. Daniel Graham (64)

24. LJ Smith (66)

25. Derek Fine (69)

26. Steve Heiden (73)

27. Vernon Davis (76)

28. Dante Rosario (78)

29. Donald Lee (79)

30. Heath Miller (80)

31. Martellus Bennett (80)

32. Brent Celek (80)

33. David Martin (80)

34. Alge Crumpler (80)

35. Jeremy Shockey (82)

Use the links below to check out all of the other positional rankings, and I’ll try to consolidate all of this week’s start rankings into one blog, that I’ll update as injury information becomes available too. Remember to trust your gut and have fun, and as always, good luck this week.

Here are the Week 12 Fantasy Flavor Wide Receiver Power Rankings. There have been lots of shakeups in the hierarchies of several receiving corps this season, which now means that a few early round wide receivers like Tory Holt and Marques Colston are now taking back seats to guys likely gotten off of the waiver wire in most leagues. There are a lit more systems in which the #2 guy seems to be challenging the established #1 too, and of course a few groups too crowded to choose between. Make sure to check back tomorrow for the tight end, kicker and defense rankings too.

Keep in mind that the power rankings, listed here, are based on year to date performance and not a reflection of your best options for week 12. Just below the power rankings are match up previews advising who should be better or worse than usual this week, based on their opponents. At the bottom, are the week 12 start rankings, that’s where you should look for help with your week 12 lineup decisions.

And here are the week 12 Fantasy WR start rankings; it’s the projected top 75 WRs in the order that you should consider them this week. They were gotten using the Fantasy Flavor secret formula, and have their formulary numbers in parentheses, the lower the better. We’ll get all of the positional rankings out to you in time for the Thursday night game, so keep checking back for the rest.

Use the links below to access the other rankings for this week, and check back tomorrow for the tight end, kicker and defense rankings. All will be up in plenty of time to get your lineups in before tomorrow night’s game.

Here are the week 12 Fantasy Flavor Running Back Power Rankings. It’s getting tougher and tougher to find sleepers these days, and in this era of multi-dimensional backfields, it’s getting harder and harder to simply figure out who’ll get an adequate number of carries from week to week. There are more options to choose from based on more overall running backs getting touches, but finding good options isn’t always easy, we’ll do our best to help you sort it all out here.

Keep in mind that the power rankings, listed here, are based on year to date performance and not a reflection of your best options for week 12. Just below the power rankings are match up previews advising who should be better or worse than usual this week, based on their opponents. At the bottom, are the week 12 start rankings, that’s where you should look for help with your week 12 lineup decisions.

And here are the week 12 Fantasy RB start rankings; it’s the projected top 50 RBs in the order that you should consider them this week. They were gotten using the Fantasy Flavor secret formula, and have their formulary numbers in parentheses, the lower the better. We’ll get all of the positional rankings out to you in time for the Thursday night game, so keep checking back for the rest.

All of the rankings will be up in time for you to get your Thursday’s lineups in, so keep checking back. You can use the links below to check all of the other positions; they’ll be activated as they become available.

Here are this week’s Fantasy Flavor Quarterback Power Rankings for week 12. There wasn’t a lot of movement within the top ten, and at this point in the season, barring injury, there likely won’t be. The bottom half of the top 20 is full of upstarts, rookies and fill ins. Both Tony Romo and Kyle Orton returned to action, and to the top 20 this week, and Shaun Hill has worked his way in as well, and could prove to be a valuable stretch run addition.

Keep in mind that the power rankings, listed here, are based on year to date performance and not a reflection of your best options for week 12. Just below the power rankings are match up previews advising who should be better or worse than usual this week, based on their opponents. At the bottom, are the week 12 start rankings, that’s where you should look for help with your week 12 lineup decisions.

And here are the week 12 Fantasy QB start rankings; it’s all 32 projected starters in the order that you should consider them this week. They were gotten using the Fantasy Flavor secret formula, and have their formulary numbers in parentheses, the lower the better. We’ll get all of the positional rankings out to you in time for the Thursday night game, so keep checking back for the rest.

1. Peyton Manning (15)

2. Aaron Rodgers (21)

3. Jay Cutler (22)

4. Tony Romo (22)

5. Kurt Warner (29)

6. Shaun Hill (31)

7. Brady Quinn (31)

8. Drew Brees (35)

9. Eli Manning (36)

10. Phillip Rivers (40)

11. Matt Cassel (40)

12. Kyle Orton (42)

13. Tyler Thigpen (43)

14. Gus Frerotte (43)

15. Jeff Garcia (44)

16. Donavan McNabb (45)

17. Jason Campbell (48)

18. David Garrard (52)

19. Brett Favre (53)

20. Chad Pennington (57)

21. Sage Rosenfels (61)

22. Kerry Collins (61)

23. Matt Ryan (62)

24. Joe Flacco (64)

25. Jake Delhomme (68)

26. Ben Roethlisberger (69)

27. JaMarcus Russell (70) *about the same if it’s Walter or Tuisasopo

28. Trent Edwards (78)

29. Marc Bulger (78)

30. Ryan Fitzpatrick (81)

31. Daunte Culpepper (86)

32. Matt Hasselbeck (87)

All of the rankings will be up in time for you to get your Thursday’s lineups in, so keep checking back. You can use the links below to check all of the other positions; they’ll be activated as they become available.

There were no big surprises this week, unless you’re Donavan McNabb that is, especially at the top of the rankings. With every team now at 10 games into the season, we seem to be getting a pretty good idea of what the playoff picture will likely look like. The Giants and Titans are both certainly well on their way toward locking up home field advantage, while a handful of teams look to be staking their claims to the first overall draft pick as well. The AFC East, NFC North and NFC South all have bunches of good teams grouped together and fighting it out tooth and nail as the home stretch approaches, while teams like the Broncos and Cardinals are enjoying an inordinate amount of relative power based on the control that they have in their divisions.

1. Tennessee Titans (1) – 10-0 – The Titans are all but assured of their place in the postseason, and are starting to make teams respect their offense as at least somewhat multi-dimensional. An undefeated regular season is quietly becoming a possibility for this team. Next Week: vs. NYJ

2. New York Giants (2) – 9-1 – They may well be the best team in football, and they proved it again against the vaunted Ravens’ run defense on Sunday. Things are a little less certain for the Giants in comparison to Tennessee when it comes to controlling their division, but it will be of little consequence if the Giants keep playing like they have been. Next Week: @ AZ

3. Carolina Panthers (3) – 8-2 – Their win on Sunday against an overmatched Lions team was no thing of beauty, and Jake Delhomme continues to turn in bad passing performances against bad pass defenses. But the Panthers keep rolling along nonetheless. With two legitimate running threats, plus Steve Smith and that defense, these Panthers may be able to wait on Delhomme to shake off his funk. Next Week: @ ATL

4. Arizona Cardinals (4) – 7-3 – Lots of people still seem to be down on these Cardinals, and I’m not completely sure why. Their front 7 is as physical as any in football, Tim Hightower is breathing new life into the running game, and we all know what Kurt Warner and those receivers are capable of. They’re the best of a bad lot in the NFC West, but shouldn’t have to apologize for it. If anything they don’t travel well, all three of their losses came on east coast trips. They have 2 more trips East before the playoffs, and probably need to start thinking about playing into position for home field advantage. Next Week: vs. NYG

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (5) – The Steelers just keep taking shot after shot from the toughest teams in the league, and continue to find ways to eek out wins. They appear to be in good shape to get into the playoffs, and will likely be one of the most battle tested squads once the playoffs arrive. Next Week: vs. CIN

6. New York Jets (6) – 7-3 – The Jets find themselves in good position despite a couple of losses that they’d like to have back. The AFC East is a logjam, and while no team seems to possess talent that’s head and shoulders above the rest, with Favre at the helm in comparison to Pennington, Edwards and Cassel, the Jets have to like their chances. Next Week: @ TEN

7. Denver Broncos (10) – 6-4 – I’ve been apologizing for the Broncos’ high position in the rankings despite their modest success for weeks. A come from behind rally in the 4th quarter against Cleveland, followed up by a win against a quality Falcons team on the road have solidified Denver’s position. They also enjoy the relative power of residing in the AFC West, and have a pretty clear path to the playoffs at this point. Next Week: vs. OAK

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11) – 7-3 – The Bucs find themselves in this enviable position despite their revolving door at QB. The road to success will get just a little bit tougher from here without the services of Earnest Graham. The return of Cadillac Williams appears to have happened just in time for Tampa, but we’ll have to wait and see if he’s able to shoulder the load. Next Week: @ DET

9. Indianapolis Colts (17) – 6-4 – Writing the Colts off in week 6 just seemed to be premature. Since the Titans seem to have run away with the division already, the Colts can focus clearly on the wildcard for their playoff hopes. Recent editions of the Colts, who clinched early and used subs to play out the regular season string, have failed in the playoffs. It was only when the Colts had to play down to the wire to get into the playoffs that they went on to win the Superbowl. Watch out for the Colts. Next Week: @ SD

10. Baltimore Ravens (8) – 6-4 – Although a loss to the Giants shouldn’t have been surprising to anyone, the manner in which the Ravens were dismantled by those Giants, and particular their running game, was shocking. The Ravens have clearly seen what it is that they aspire to be, as the Giants beat them soundly, while playing Baltimore’s brand of football. They’re still in good position for a playoff run, but the schedule will absolutely make it an uphill battle. Next Week: vs. PHI

11. Green Bay Packers (12) – 5-5 – They exorcised their demons against the Bears, who had been in the driver’s seat in the NFC North, and who gave the Packers 2 of their 3 losses last season. In doing so they created a logjam atop the division, and just in time, as the Packers may be hitting their stride right now as well. Next Week: @ NO

12. Washington Redskins (12) – 6-4 – The efficient offensive machine that Jim Zorn and Jason Campbell looked to have built just a few weeks ago, is in drastic need of a tune up. Talent-wise, the Redskins may be undermanned in comparison to the rest of their division, they had better get back to taking care of the ball, and playing good defense if they hope to make a run in the AFC East. Next Week: @ SEA

13. Chicago Bears (7) – 5-5 – Unless Kyle Orton can return to the form he had before his injury, the Bears will likely find themselves out of the running pretty quickly. The loss to the Packers was the first in which the Bears were beaten really soundly, but it couldn’t have come at a worse time, or against a worse opponent. Next Week: @ ST.L

14. Miami Dolphins (18) – 6-4 – There is absolutely no resemblance between this team and the one that won just a single game a year ago. In addition to breathing new life into the league, Miami’s “Wildcat Offense” has been widely regarded as their “gimmick” all season. Meanwhile the Dolphins are putting together a more than respectable attack in many other aspects of the game, but their overall improvements as a team seem to be somewhat overlooked in the shadow of the “Wildcat”.Next Week: vs. NE

15. New England Patriots (9) – 6-4 – New England let an important one get away against the Jets, and now may have their backs against the wall against a Dolphins team that has had their number for years. I’m sure that there’s fight left in these Patriots, but the road to a division title just got a whole lot bumpier. Next Week: @ MIA

16. Dallas Cowboys (20) – 6-4 – While they didn’t look good in doing it on Sunday, the Cowboys picked up a much needed win. Panic may have done to the locker room what no person had been able to figure out how to. Panic may have put the egos in check on this team and rallied them, if that’s the case, expect them to climb back up the rankings pretty quickly. Next Week: vs. SF

17. Minnesota Vikings (15) – 5-5 – The schedule may have been too much for Minnesota to overcome this season. While they aren’t out of it yet, their schedule won’t get any easier from here. With 6 games left, the NFC North is a three team dogfight, Minnesota seems to be the least likely to climb over the rest to get to the finish. Next Week: @ JAX

18. Atlanta Falcons (13) – 6-4 – It’s been a magical season so far for Mike Smith, Matt Ryan and the Falcons, but playing behind Tampa and Carolina in the AFC South may be the spoiler that ruins it. The Falcons will have their work cut out for them if they want to have a chance in the NFC. They’ve been up to the challenge so far, we’ll see if they can sustain it. Next Week: vs. CAR

19. San Diego Chargers (14) – 4-6 – As bad as they’ve been, the Chargers, if they were able to get things together, could still wrestle the division away from the Denver Broncos. With that said, the odds of them getting it together are getting longer by the week. Travel, injuries, tough breaks and coaching may be too much for even the most talented teams to overcome. Next Week: vs. IND

20. Philadelphia Eagles (16) – 5-4-1 – Based on their record, they could still be a factor in the playoff hunt, but based on their 0-3 record in the division, they’ll have a tough time pulling it off. They’ve been relatively healthy so far, but haven’t been able to take advantage as yet. Next Week: @ BAL

21. New Orleans Saints (23) – 5-5 – There’s no quit in these Saints, but unfortunately, there isn’t much defense either. The Return of Reggie Bush should breathe some life back into these Saints, but looking up at 3 teams in the division probably means that their fate is already sealed. Next Week: vs. GB

22. Cleveland Browns (22) – 4-6 – The Browns didn’t look like a team that had quit on Monday night, but they didn’t look like a team with much to be hopeful about either. The Brady Quinn era is underway in Cleveland, and that may have to be enough to keep the fans interested and Romeo Crennel employed. Next Week: vs. HOU

23. Jacksonville Jaguars (24) – 4-6 – The Jags put up a valiant effort in trying to end the Titans undefeated streak on Sunday, but in the end came up short. I’m not sure what it is that’s changed so much in Jacksonville from last season to this one, but I’m sure that a shake up is in order. How they finish the string in this disappointing season will likely be a good gauge of their character as a team. Next Week: vs. MIN

24. Houston Texans (25) – 3-7 – Another big effort from the Texans on Sunday, and another disappointing loss to show for it. It seemed that this season got off on a bad note for the Texans, and they were never able to recover from it. They do seem to be steadily improving week by week, and if they could ever get healthy they could be dangerous. Next Week: @ CLE

25. Buffalo Bills (21) – 5-5 – At 5-5 in the AFC East, the Bills are far from done mathematically. But as losers of 4 straight and 5 of their last 6 games, the Bills are in freefall, and could be lucky to salvage an 8-win season. Next Week: @ KC

26. San Francisco 49ers (26) – 3-7 – It was a long time coming, but the Niners got back into the win column on Sunday, and looked pretty good doing it. The jury’s still out on Mike Singletary as leader of a franchise, but Vernon Davis appears to have found his comfort zone after a rough start with the rookie coach. Next Week: @ DAL

27. Seattle Seahawks (27) – 2-8 – The return of Matt Hasselbeck didn’t necessarily mean the return of the Seahawks offense last week, but it should certainly make things a little bit better going forward at least. Now if they can just get some others healthy on offense, they might pick up a couple of wins. Next Week: vs. WAS

28. Cincinnati Bengals (30) – 1-8-1 – It wasn’t a loss, and holding the Eagles offense scoreless in overtime on Sunday is a big step for this Bengals defense. They’ve got some momentum now, we’ll see if it carries into Pittsburgh with them. Next Week: @ PIT

29. Kansas City Chiefs (28) – 1-9 – Tyler Thigpen is quietly becoming a real NFL quarterback. Given the limited receiving options that he has to choose from, that’s big news. If Larry Johnson is able to bring back an effective running game for the Chiefs they could give some teams some trouble. Next Week: vs. BUF

30. St. Louis Rams (29) – 2-8 – The Rams resurgence now appears to have been nothing more than a glimmer. Depending on how quickly Steven Jackson is able to get back on the field for these Rams, they could be simply left going through the motions from here out. Next Week: vs. CHI

31. Oakland Raiders (31) – 2-8 – The big news out of Oakland this week isn’t another firing, tirade or shakeup, it’s that Jim Fassel wants in as the head coach of the Raiders. Actually, the big news is that anybody wants to be the coach of the Raiders. Next Week: @ DEN

32. Detroit Lions (32) – 0-10 – I’m not sure why, but I wouldn’t bet against these Lions if they went into the Thanksgiving game with Tennessee winless, and the Titans undefeated. It’s probably because the spread will be off the charts. Good luck with the first pick overall Detroit. Next Week: vs. TB

And finally, in plenty of time to get your lineups in for tonight, here are the week 11 fantasy kicker rankings. Like defenses, kickers will frustrate you if you spent too early in the draft. Steady legends can fall off quickly, yet two guys grabbed from the scrap heap find themselves at the top of the yearly power rankings so far. The good news is, there are usually plenty to be found on the waiver wire, and if you play your match ups right, you can be successful rotating kickers weekly.

Remember that we’re listing 3 separate areas of evaluation in each Positional Power Rankings blog. The power rankings, listed first, are a year to date assessment of the top 20 at each position. Under those, are listings advising who should be a little bit better or worse than usual, based on their match up this week. And finally, at the bottom of each blog is the formulary start rankings, which is gotten using the “Secret Fantasy Flavor Formula”. It’s two parts year to date performance, one part opponents’ defensive performance, with adjustments for injuries, anomalies, and playing time changes.

Remember, none of this is gospel. If it were that easy, it wouldn’t be fun to play the games. With that said, we’re very proud of our track record so far, and suggest that you use these and as many other resources as you can find, in order to formulate your own opinions. After all, it’s you who has to live with your lineup decisions.

And here are the week 11 Fantasy K start rankings; it’s all 32 kickers in the order that you should consider them this week. They were gotten using the Fantasy Flavor secret formula, and have their formulary numbers in parentheses, the lower the better. That’s all 6 positions, in plenty of time for tonight’s game.

1. Jason Elam (15)

2. Joe Nedney (16)

3. John Carney (21)

4. David Akers (21)

5. Garrett Holliday (26)

6. Mason Crosby (32)

7. Jay Feeley (33)

8. John Kasay (33)

9. Stephen Gostkowski (35)

10. Shaun Suisham (36)

11. Matt Bryant (39)

12. Rob Bironas (42)

13. Matt Prater (43)

14. Robbie Gould (44)

15. Neil Rackers (44)

16. Josh Brown (47)

17. Ryan Longwell (52)

18. Sebastian Janikowski (52)

19. Kris Brown (53)

20. Nate Kaeding (54)

21. Phil Dawson (54)

22. Rian Lindell (54)

23. Shayne Graham (65)

24. Jeff Reed (66)

25. Olindo Mare (67)

26. Connor Barth (69)

27. Josh Scobee (70)

28. Dan Carpenter (73)

29. Nick Folk (82)

30. Matt Stover (83)

31. Adam Vinatieri (87)

32. Jason Hanson (88)

Use the links at the bottom of the page for all of the rest of this week’s rankings. As always, keep an eye on the injury report and make adjustments accordingly, or call in to the show on Saturday from 4-7. And most importantly, good luck this week.